


I Put A Spell On You

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver is throwing a huge Halloween party, and he wants Felicity there. She doesn't have a costume, but Oliver says he'll handle it. She should be worried, right?</p><p>*edit* I changed the title. It was previously "A Little Halloween Magic".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a cute little Halloween Olicity series. I can't imagine it'll be very long, but I hope you enjoy it.

It was a Queen tradition to throw a Halloween party every year. Even with Moira in jail, it seemed like the tradition should continue. Thea seemed to enjoy planning it, and anything that made his sister happy was okay in Oliver’s book. Unless it was Roy. He was still having trouble with that.

"She’s got a haunted house set up", Oliver told Felicity the day before the big night. "A carnival, too. It’s an open invitation, which is definitely not how we’ve done it in the past. But Thea argued that it would be good to give the people of Starling City something fun to do on Halloween, so they could stay off the streets and safe."

They were in Felicity’s office at Queen Consolidated. Oliver had been in meetings all morning with Walter, and had stopped by to have lunch with her. They’d had Chinese food delivered, and were seated around her desk eating.

"That sounds great", Felicity agreed enthusiastically. "I bet you guys are going to have fun!"

"Wait", Oliver said, startled. "Aren’t you going to be there?"

Felicity frowned. “Oh… Um, I hadn’t even thought about it. I’m sorry. I haven’t done anything for Halloween in a while.”

"Well", Oliver smiled, "now is the perfect time to start."

"I don’t know…"

"If I have to wear a costume and spend time with people, you should have to too", Oliver stated, stealing her egg roll.

"I don’t have a costume", Felicity protested, knowing full well that wouldn’t stop Oliver.

"Not a problem". he told her with a shake of his head. "I’ll take care of it."


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver texted her as she was getting ready for bed. She’d just put on her pajamas when her phone buzzed.

**[I need you to go with me somewhere on your lunch break tomorrow.]**

Felicity frowned suspiciously.  **[Go with you where?]**

**[It’s a secret. I’ll meet you outside work at noon.]**

She sighed.  **[Fine.]**

**[Don’t sound so enthusiastic. Get some sleep. You’ll need it.]**

She looked up sharply at her window, half expecting Oliver to be perched outside. He wasn’t, thankfully. Felicity shook her head to herself, and crawled into bed, hoping that tomorrow wouldn’t be a disaster.

She found Oliver waiting for her outside Queen Consolidated at precisely noon. He smiled mischievously when he saw her, and her stomach dropped. She shuddered to think what Oliver considered an appropriate Halloween costume.

"Where are we going?", She asked once again, as Oliver ushered her in the car. Digg smirked at her from the rear-view mirror, earning him a glare.

"I told you", Oliver said, "it’s a secret".

She sighed impatiently, which did nothing except cause both Oliver and Digg to chuckle.

"Put this on", Oliver told her as he offered her a blindfold.

She shook her head. “No. No way. You must be delusional.”

"C’mon, Felicity", Digg urged. "Have a little faith."

"You two are the worst", she grumbled, taking the blindfold and placing it over her eyes. She tied it tightly in the back, and sunk down in her seat.

She felt a hand on her knee. “Don’t worry, Felicity. You’re gonna love this.” Oliver’s voice was soothing, and she couldn’t help but relax a little.

A few minutes later she felt them stop, and light on her face as someone opened her door. They grabbed her hand, and she realized it was Oliver as he instructed her to duck as he guided her out of the car. His hand settled on her lower back as he ushered her to their location, and she was almost too distracted to feel the flutter in her heart at the touch. Almost.

She felt the rush of air as a door was opened, and the tell tale sound of a bell announcing their arrival. They were in a store.

It smelled old. Not musty, but worn. And there was the light scent of incense.

She felt Oliver’s hand on her face as he removed her blindfold, and she blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the light. When they had, she found herself standing in a costume shop.

An older woman was standing in front of her smiling, Oliver to the side of them both. 

"Felicity, this is Alma. Alma, Felicity."

Felicity smiled at Alma, bewildered. “Hello”, she greeted, then turned to Oliver for an explanation.

"This is the best authentic costume shop in Starling City. And for the next hour, it’s yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue the costume trying on montage!


	3. Chapter 3

"I don’t understand", Felicity said slowly, as she looked around the shop.

Mannequins dressed in extravagant period clothing donned the corners, there was a jewelry case filled with tiaras and broaches behind Alma, and a pair of wings suspended from the ceiling. Racks and racks of clothing filled the space, and an entire wall was nothing but masks.

Oliver grinned. “Let’s just say that we Queens take Halloween very seriously. The annual party was always costume mandatory, and the ones we wore were… Well, we went all out. Alma created all of our costumes. She’s the best.”

"I can’t…", she took a deep breath, "I can’t afford this stuff, Oliver."

He shook his head. “You're not paying. I’m making you go, that means the costume is on me. Pick anything. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

Felicity laughed indignantly. “It’s too much. I can’t accept that.”

Oliver sighed, “Felicity, you deserve it. And more. Call it an early birthday present, if it makes you feel better”.

"Birthday, Hanukkah, and Anniversary present", she rambled, starting to really look around at what the shop had to offer.

Digg’s laughter made her realize what she’d said, and she turned to Oliver flushed and wide eyed.

"Anniversary?", he asked inquisitively.

"I-", she stammered. "I just- when you- the day you were in my car", she finished weakly, with a glance to Alma. She didn’t want to say anything that would cause Alma’s to suspect Oliver of being The Hood.

Oliver didn’t seem worried as he smiled softly. “Right”, he nodded. It almost seemed like he wanted to say more, but he just cleared his throat and turned to Alma. She was watching Felicity and Oliver with interest.

"What do you think, Alma? Can we find her something worthy of a Queen Halloween?"

Alma smiled fondly. “Oh, I think we’ll manage.”

"Follow me", she instructed Felicity. She looked at Oliver in alarm as she realized she meant  _just_  Felicity, but he just nodded encouragingly. _  
_

With one last look at Oliver and Digg, she followed Alma into the back of the store.

Alma brought her to the dressing rooms, and took a seat on one of the plush looking chairs in front of a row of mirrors. She gestured for Felicity to take the chair next to her.

"What kind of costume did you have in mind, dear?", Alma asked, pulling out a sketch pad.

"Oh", Felicity started, "I don’t, have anything in mind. I’m still processing."

Alma chuckled. “Yes, Oliver can be a little impetuous. He’s obviously very fond of you.”

Felicity blushed. “I don’t know about that. I just think he really wants backup at this party.”

"Well, regardless", Alma told her. "I’m glad he has such a lovely friend."

"Thank you", Felicity responded, at a loss for any other proper response to such a compliment.

"Now! Costumes!", Alma continued. "Would you like something scary? Classic? Revealing?" There was a twinkle in her eye that Felicity tried to ignore, given their earlier conversation topic.

"Not revealing", Felicity told her. "I’m going to be nervous as it is. Maybe classic? Scary classic?"

Alma raised a finger to her lips as she thought, and looked around them at some costume options. She then began to draw.

Felicity tried to see what she was sketching, but Alma shielding it from her. She sat patiently, waiting for her to finish.

"How about this?", Alma asked, handing her the sketch pad.

"Wow", Felicity exhaled before smiling at Alma in awe.


	4. Chapter 4

When they’d finished designing the costume, after some research on the internet, Alma walked Felicity back to Oliver and Digg.

"Meet me here when you get off work", Alma instructed her. "We’ll put you in your costume and do your hair and makeup."

"Thank you so much", Felicity told her emphatically. Alma smiled softly and nodded, then turned her gaze to Oliver.

He was watching Felicity with a fond smile, happy about her excitement. Alma could tell he was excited too.

"What about this one?", she asked Oliver, turning to Digg. "What are we doing for him?"

"Oh no", Digg replied, hands raised. "Nothing for me. I will be handing out candy at home."

Alma huffed. “That doesn’t mean you don’t need a costume!”

Digg chuckled. “Still, I’m good.”

"Very well", she acquiesced. "I will see you later, Felicity. I’m excited to see how our design comes together."

Felicity beamed. “Me too.”

"We better get you back to work", Oliver suggested, looking at his watch. "Wouldn’t want you to get fired." He winked at Felicity, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Thank you again", she told Alma. "I’ll see you soon."

Alma bid them all goodbye, and they exited the shop. Oliver opened the car door for Felicity, and she slid in.

"So", Oliver asked as he sat next to her, "what’s the costume?".

She shook her head. “I’m not telling. It’s a surprise.”

Oliver raised his eyebrows and began to protest, but was cut off by Felicity.

"You can wait a few hours."

"Fine", he grumbled, disappointed. "I’ll send a car for you at 5:30."

"I don’t need a car, Oliver", she protested. "I have my own."

He sighed at her continued reluctance to let him do something nice for her. “Then be at Queen Manor at 6.”

She pulled up to Queen Manor at 5:55, shaking with nerves. The costume had turned out even better than she could have hoped it would, but it was also very intricate.

She got out of her car carefully, paying special attention to her dress. She didn’t want to rip it. Alma had told her it was a designer dress she had borrowed from a friend for the occasion. 

She made her way to the front door, and rang the bell. She wrung her hands and looked around the front yard. There were a few cars parked in the driveway, but not nearly as many as she was expecting.

The door opened as she was looking off to the side.

"Wow", Oliver breathed out, just loud enough to catch Felicity’s attention. She turned to him and took in his reaction. When he saw the other side of her costume, his eyes widened.

"Whoa", he laughed, taking in the skeleton makeup on the right side of her face, then the muscles and bone that Alma had painted onto her right arm and slightly exposed right leg. "That is… awesome", he told her, opening the door to let her into the house.

"So, you approve?", she asked hesitantly.

"Are you kidding? You look fantastic. What are you, exactly?"

She held her hands out to her sides to showcase her costume as she answered, “I’m Hel, the Norse goddess of Death.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visual representation of Felicity's costume: http://felicityholysmoak.tumblr.com/post/60864782684/felicity-as-hel-the-norse-goddess-of-death-x


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long since an update!
> 
> Here is Oliver's costume post: http://felicityholysmoak.tumblr.com/post/61135766338/oliver-as-a-roman-gladiator-x

Oliver grinned at her, slightly taking Felicity's breath away. He'd been doing that more often of late. Not taking away her breath (he did that all the time), but smiling. She smiled happily in return, glad that he seemed to like her costume choice.

Her smile disappeared as she heard quiet, but business minded chatter from the next room.

"It’s not too gory?", she asked, suddenly nervous.

"No", he reassured her. He craned his head to look down the hall, then continued in a quieter voice. "This is just the pre-party business dinner. It’s always been an important perk for the board members and large investors. The party starts in a few hours."

She frowned, confused. “I could have just come then”, she told him.

Oliver shrugged. “I wanted you here.”

She didn’t know what to say. So she deflected.

"Why are you in a robe?", she asked, noticing his clothing for the first time.

"I was just changing into my costume when I saw you pull up. Why don’t you come up with me? You can be the first to see it." He winked mischievously, turning to walk up the stairs without waiting for her response.

She stared after him speechlessly, then scurried after him up the stairs as fast as her designer dress allowed.

She saw him disappear into a room down the hall she’d followed him to, and she approached it with a knot of nerves in her stomach. She’d never been to Queen Manor before, let alone in his bedroom.

She stopped in the doorway, surprised and shocked at the sight of a shirtless Oliver. He was pulling something on over his head, and once he had it on he spotted her in the mirror reflection.

He turned to face her and she was able to get a good look at his costume. He was a gladiator. Her eyes flitted over every inch of his body, taking in the metal detailing, the scars that were visible on his exposed arms, and the rather thin piece of fabric under the main leather part of the costume. Her eyes raised and found his own.

His face was neutral, no smirk on his lips or a raised eyebrow. His eyes were darker though, heavier in their gaze somehow.

She licked her lips nervously and swallowed to wet her dry throat.

"A gladiator?", she confirmed, taking a step further into the room to try to lighten the mood by pretending she wasn’t shaking.

It was then that Oliver grinned. “I always wanted to be one”, he said as he turned back to face the mirror and appraise the costume. “My mom always picked our costumes every year though, and she never approved my suggestion for gladiator.”

Felicity hummed in sympathy, not sure what to say to that. Talking about his mom was always tough for him. Felicity had to admit though, he seemed more at ease since Moira had gone to prison. Truthfully, the whole situation could have been a lot worse. Tommy had almost died during the explosion in The Glades. Felicity shuddered to think what state Oliver would be in if he’d lost his best friend. As it were, Moira’s on-air confession had done a lot to save lives, and Oliver’s alter ego had been able to rescue people trapped in various places. The physical destruction was devastating for the neighborhood, but Oliver (and Queen Consolidated, under his and Walter’s direction) had devoted himself to helping them rebuild.

Oliver picked up a metal helmet she hadn’t noticed, and slipped it on. She couldn’t help but smile at the intensity of the costume. Oliver didn’t need any help being intense, but she marveled at how intimidating he could be while wearing what was essentially a skirt.

"Ready to go to dinner?", he asked, coming to meet her. She nodded enthusiastically, hoping that she’d able to keep the food off her dress.

"Follow me", he directed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TOMMY LIVES. Mwahaha. :)
> 
> I really needed him (like deep, in my soul, needed him) to be alive. This is a HAPPY story.


	6. Chapter 6

They ran into Thea and Roy in the hall while walking to dinner.

"Ollie-", Thea began, but stopped abruptly when she noticed Felicity.

"Wow", she gushed, "your costume is amazing. Turn around!"

Felicity stammered incoherently as she did as she was instructed, thoroughly confused.

"Alma is an artist. That dress is perfect on you. You look incredible."

"Thank you?", Felicity said, turning to Oliver for an explanation. Felicity and Thea had never had a conversation before, and yet she was talking to Felicity like she knew all about her.

Thea was the one who provided an explanation. “Ollie told me he was bringing you to dinner”, she told Felicity, unfazed by her confusion. “And that he was taking you to Alma.” She looked between them significantly, before grabbing Roy’s hand and pulling him down the hall.

"Anyways, we’ll see you at dinner! Just have to grab a few things!"

They disappeared around the corner, and Felicity turned to face Oliver, a dozen questions on the tip of her tongue.

He looked away as soon as she looked at him, and continued walking down the hall. She stood in shock a moments before rushing after him.

He stopped just outside the dining room, where a dozen or so guests were socializing.

"You’ll be sitting by me", he told her. "Thea will be on my other side, and Roy next to her. I think Dr. Daniels is on your other side. He’s the family doctor and has known me since I was born. He’s nice."

Felicity nodded apprehensively. She wasn’t looking forward to an hour of small talk.

"You’ll be fine", Oliver assured her, sensing her worry. He placed his hand on her arm comfortingly. "Let’s go in."

He walked ahead of her, and she followed closely.

"Oliver", Walter greeted him immediately. Oliver walked to meet him, and they shook hands.

"How are you son? You look very intimidating. Roman gladiator?"

Oliver smiled and nodded. “Not  _too_  intimidating, right?”, he asked playfully.

"Not at all. Just the right amount, for a business dinner. And Felicity", he said, turning to her, "you look marvelous. What a fantastic costume. What are you?"

Felicity flushed, and ducked her head. “Oh, um… Hel, the Norse goddess of Death.”

"That is certainly a unique costume. It suits you quite well, considering you are don’t normally remind me of death in the slightest."

Felicity laughed softly. “Thank you, Mr. Steele.”

"Oh, Walter, please."

Felicity nodded and smiled, at ease by Walter’s charm and warmth.

"Why don’t you two take your seats, and I’ll let Raisa know to start serving as soon as Thea and Roy reappear."

Oliver nodded in agreement, and placed a hand on Felicity’s lower back to guide her to her chair. He pulled it out for her, and she sat down. He sat next to her, at the head of the table.

Walter took the seat at the other end of the table, and the rest of the guests started to sit as well. Thea and Roy appeared a few minutes later. Raise had been waiting at the kitchen door, and as soon as she saw the stragglers she instructed the staff to start serving.

The man sitting beside Felicity turned to her as they were served their appetizers. He introduced himself.

"Hello, dear. My name is Ted Daniels." He lifted his hand, and Felicity shook it.

"Hi. Dr. Daniels, right? Oliver told me about you", she explained, looking quickly at Oliver who was talking with Thea.

"Yes", Dr. Daniels confirmed. "I’ve been Oliver’s doctor since he was born. I delivered him, actually. 7 pounds, 6 ounces of Queen heir." He chuckled, recalling the memory. "He was a quiet baby. Unlike his sister."

Thea perked up at the statement, and she turned to glare good naturally at the older man. He smiled at her, fondly. “I also delivered Thea”, he said, continuing to look at the young woman in question. “She screamed so loud I was afraid we had hurt her. Turns out she just liked the sound of her own voice.”

That made Thea laugh loudly, earning her some odd looks from the other dinner guests. Walter looked to the group at the end of the table, and shook his head with a smile.

Oliver caught Felicity’s eye, and grinned at her. He was glad she seemed amused.

"Well, I’m Felicity", she told Dr. Daniels. "I’m a friend of Oliver. I work for Queen Consolidated, in the IT Department."

"That’s how you two met?", he asked her, looking between her and Oliver. Oliver was watching the exchange, but decided to let her explain.

She nodded. “Yes. Oliver asked for my help picking up some of the technology he’d missed while on the island.”

Dr. Daniels hummed. “And are you still helping him learn?”

Felicity fidgeted with her dress, understanding the doctor’s tone and question. Oliver saved her from answering. He reached out, and took her hand, stilling the expression of her nerves. She looked up at him, surprised at the touch. He was addressing Dr. Daniels. “Felicity is teaching me a great many things”, he told the doctor firmly, a gentle warning in his voice.

The doctor grinned, pleased with Oliver’s answer. “Good”, he told them. “I’m glad.”

Oliver could feel Thea watching him and Felicity, even as Dr. Daniels turned his attention to his food. He focused his own attention on Felicity.

"How are you doing?", he whispered, leaning in close to her. He still held her hand.

She felt faint, but she was pretty certain that was because of Oliver’s proximity to her. She smiled at him shyly. “I’m fine.”

He watched her for any betrayal of that statement, but was convinced. He nodded, and pulled away from her, releasing her hand. She closed her eyes as he turned his attention to his plate, feeling the shock that his absence left.

 _Just get through dinner_ , she told herself. It was bound to be a wild night.


	7. Chapter 7

Dinner was thankfully absent of any further discomfort. She ate her meal quietly, listening to Oliver make small talk or Thea and Roy tease each other. Down at the other end, she could hear Walter talking business with the other guests. Everyone seemed to know each other, except for her.

She couldn’t stop thinking about why she was there. Why Oliver had wanted her there.

Their dynamic had been changing, shifting, over the past month. He was softer towards her, let himself ease when she was near him. She wasn’t blind, she noticed. She just didn’t know why, or couldn’t process the only reason that seemed obvious.

She didn’t quite trust that he had moved on from Laurel. Yes, she was happy with Tommy, and Oliver seemed happy for them. Still, there was a part of Felicity that wondered if they were ever  _truly_  be over.

When dinner ended, Oliver left her in the dinner room with a promise to return as he and Walter showed the guests to the door. Thea and Roy ran off to make sure everything was ready for the public party that would be starting within the hour. Felicity seized the chance to look around.

The dinner room walls were elegantly decorated with fine art. A hallways lead out of the room towards the entrance, where she’d originally come from. In the other direction, she found a library. She was running her finger over the spines of the books when the door creaked and she turned to find Oliver watching her.

He smiled at her as she dropped her hand.

"Sorry", she apologized, clasping her hands together behind her back. "I didn’t mean to snoop."

He laughed. “The library is hardly snooping. Now if it were my underwear drawer…”

Felicity chuckled, nodding. “Yeah. That’d be- wait. What do you keep in your underwear drawer? Besides underwear, that is?”, she asked suspiciously.

Oliver just shook his head, a soft red blush coloring his cheeks. “The party is about to start. You’ll want to be there when they turn on the lights.”

A cryptic statement, Felicity thought, not knowing the extent of the Halloween decorations put in place by Thea. She followed Oliver back down the hall and out the double glass-pane doors that lead to the back yard.

Thea and Roy were waiting for them, Thea nearly bouncing with excitement. Felicity smiled, the young woman’s energy infectious. Oliver grinned at his sister and nodded at Roy, who pushed a button on a control he was holding.

Felicity gasped as the grounds were bathed in light. Carnival booths that had been shrouded by darkness were illuminated. Lights in the trees sparkled, casting a dim light through the decorated orchard. Music began to play, a low haunting melody mixed with spooky sounds. Felicity noted a large structure on the other side of the orchard that appeared to be a haunted house.

Oliver watched her as she took it all in. “What do you think?”, he asked eagerly.

Felicity laughed happily. “I think Thea outdid herself.”


	8. Chapter 8

The public started to arrive just after 8pm. Thea was at the front door to greet them. The party was family friendly, but not many young kids attended due to the time. Thea handed out candy regardless. 

Couples of all ages, groups of friends, and families filled the back yard. There was classic carnival food, with a Halloween twist. Caramel apples, black and orange cotton candy, funnel cake shaped like ghosts. Servers walked through the party offering punch with mist floating on top of it.

A costume contest was held, and the 1st place winner was awarded $1,000. The 2 runners up each received $500. The haunted house was truly terrifying, if the screams were anything to go by. People carved pumpkins, played carnival games, won stuffed animals. There were even jugglers dressed as scarecrows.

Felicity walked through the party with Oliver, receiving more attention than she was usually comfortable with. Everyone was enjoying themselves, and wanted to give their compliments and thanks to Oliver. He thanked them, but directed all the praise to Thea.

Felicity and Oliver found themselves in the orchard. The lights made the area feel eerie, but Felicity never felt safer. Oliver directed them to a stone bench underneath an apple tree. They sat in comfortable silence, until Oliver spoke.

"Are you having fun?", he asked.

She nodded happily. “Yeah. This is great. I can’t believe Thea managed all of this.”

"She’s determined", Oliver laughed. "Once she starts something…" He tapered off and got quiet. "It was important to her to do something nice for the community."

Felicity placed her hand gently on his, and smiled at him reassuringly. “She did. You both did.”

He squeezed her hand, grateful to have her with him. He marveled at the effect she had on him. He used to be on edge every moment of every day. His fight or flight instincts always pulling him in one direction or the other. Then he met Felicity. She’d brought something special to the team, helping him and Diggle be more effective. She’d also changed him personally.

Once he’d gotten closure with Laurel, his eyes opened to the person who’d been in front of him. He finally noticed the things he’d been missing. The way she watched him, never judging, just observing. How she pushed him to be a better person without berating him. That she didn’t look at him like he was broken, despite all the reasons he’d given her to think so.

Long nights working together gave them a familiarity that rivaled any of his other personal relationships. The casual atmosphere of her office during lunch dates allowed them to see each other as they were, without the outside world deciding what they meant to each other. He’d realized during one said lunch date that he like Felicity, as more than a partner in crime fighting. He maybe even loved her.

That was the scary part, and the part that had him hesitating. He had convinced himself that he couldn’t have a serious relationship with anyone while he was a vigilante. Felicity was different though. She  _knew_  him. She knew everything. There were no secrets, nothing to hide, no lies to tell. Just him and her, in every part of his life. So he decided to act on it, and decided that Thea’s Halloween party was the place to do it.

Now he just had to actually do it.

"Felicity-", he started. He looked into her eyes, her own searching his as he hesitated. He swallowed determinedly.

"I wanted to tell you- to ask you-", he stammered. He sighed in frustration. He couldn’t figure out why it was so hard.

"Oliver?", Felicity asked worriedly, breaking him out of his head.

"I like you", he stated firmly. Felicity raised an eyebrow in question, obviously knowing that Oliver liked her. They were friends, after all.

"I mean", he clarified, "I like you, like you." He laughed at how lame he sounded. "I want to be with you, in a different way than I am now."

He wasn’t being clear enough. Felicity opened her mouth, but couldn’t find any words.  _What was he trying to say?_

Oliver decided to be as direct as he could. He leaned in and caught her mouth with his own, surprising her into a soft gasp. He pulled back quickly, making sure he hadn’t made a terrible mistake.

Felicity blinked at him a few times, her mouth hanging open. Once she had processed what had happened, she raised her hand to her lips and sighed. Then she smiled.

"That was… unexpected", she told him, her eyes sparkling from the reflection of the lights in the trees.

"But not bad, right?", Oliver asked hesitantly. The tight tense feeling in his chest started to unravel as he watched her reaction.

She chuckled, not truly believing he didn’t know how she felt. “Not bad”, she assured him nonetheless. “In fact”, she said, scooting closer to him and leaning in, “I’d go so far as to say it was good”.

He smiled widely, the corners of his eyes crinkling with happiness. She wanted to kiss every single one of those lines, if he’d let her. To start though, she kissed his lips, closing her eyes and relaxing against him. He returned the kiss in equal measure and Felicity felt like she was floating. When they broke apart, they were both breathing slightly heavier than normal, and their cheeks were flushed.

"This is going better than I expected", Oliver told her, his hand fluttering over her cheek and down her neck.

"Oh yeah?", she asked him slightly breathless. She shuddered at the soft touch, and tried to level her breathing.

Oliver hummed in confirmation. “I didn’t actually allow myself to consider this happening”, he explained, wrapping his arms around her waist and sliding her nearly into his lap. She laughed abruptly at the move, making him smile.

"I’m glad you’re pleased", she whispered, dipping her head to nuzzle his neck. She felt his breath catch, and she bite her lip in pride. "Maybe", she said, raising her lips to his ear, "we should take this somewhere more private".

She’d look back on the statement with sheer mortification at how forward it was, but at that moment, with Oliver looking at her like she was the 8th wonder of the world, she was completely confident.

Oliver grinned and stood up, pulling her up with him. He took her hand, and together they walked back to the manor; to a new chapter in their story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it! :)


End file.
